Colgate teams up with Plunket

Colgate teams up with Plunket and the New Zealand Dental
Association to alleviate New Zealand’s cavity
count

Early childhood caries is one of the most common
and costly diseases of childhood, according to the Report of
the Health Committee, and Colgate, Plunket and the New
Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) are working together to
establish healthy oral hygiene habits in Kiwi kids from a
young age.

Colgate gives a toothbrush and toothpaste
to every new Plunket baby at their five month visit, along
with educational resources for parents, in a bid to combat
early childhood caries, also known as tooth decay or
cavities.

Colgate Scientific Affairs Manager Rebecca
Schipper says oral disease and its consequences, such as
pain and self-consciousness, can have a profound effect on a
person’s quality of life and future ability to gain
employment, highlighting the importance of taking care of
our children’s teeth.

“The proportion of
children visiting a dental professional each year is lowest
in the 2-4 year old age bracket, but starting early with a
fun, quick check up is a great way to prevent bigger
problems,” she says.

“Oral disease is one of the
most preventable chronic diseases in New Zealand. Visiting a
dental professional and brushing twice a day with fluoride
toothpaste could dramatically decrease the prevalence of
cavities in Kiwi kids.

“In communicating the
importance of oral care to parents just before that first
tooth breaks through, we believe we can keep many more kids
smiling.”

Plunket Clinical Advisor Allison
Jamieson says, “We love being part of this initiative.
Giving every new Plunket baby their first toothbrush and
toothpaste helps parents realise just how important it is to
start brushing as soon as those first teeth come
through.

“The educational resources are really
helpful, and we’ve had a lot of positive feedback from
families,” Jamieson says.

“The information,
produced by Colgate and the NZDA, shows families how decay
progresses, and how to spot signs of decay in the mouth, on
teeth and around the gum line.

“The resources
demonstrate how to brush correctly, and also help us to show
parents and children why we check their teeth and gums, and
what we’re looking for.”

The Report of the
Health Committee also found worse oral health outcomes among
children living in low socioeconomic areas, which Colgate,
Plunket and the NZDA are addressing by providing additional
resources in areas of need.

“In areas of
particular hardship, in addition to the toothpaste we can
provide extra toothbrushes for the other children in the
family at a new baby’s five month Plunket visit,” says
Schipper.

Colgate, Plunket and the NZDA have been in
partnership since 2007, and have provided approximately
50,000 toothbrushes and pastes to New Zealand infants each
year since 2010.

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